Unwanted Honor - new extended edition
by Cathook
Summary: The first encounter with the Aztec descendants on an alien planet goes smooth and a celebration is arranged in SG-1's honor. But it's never that easy for our favorite Stargate travelers and complications are bound to arise. (This is the new and extended edition of this story, with new events from chapter 5.)
1. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 1

**Summary: **The first encounter with the Aztec descendants on an alien planet goes smooth and a celebration is arranged in SG-1's honor. But it's never that easy for our favorite Stargate travelers and complications are bound to arise.

**Timeline: **This story is set in the latter part of season two of Stargate SG-1. No connections to or spoilers of any particular episodes.

**A/N**: This is the new and extended edition of this story, prompted by a review. Chapter 1-4 remains as before, new events from chapter 5.

Thank you for reading. I'm always grateful for **reviews**.

* * *

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 1**

"Mama, mama, mama! Visitors! Visitors!"

The small child's voice echoed between the stone buildings as he ran, alerting not only his mother but every person for blocks away of the approaching guests. A crowd was already gathering when the strangers entered through the city gates. There were four of them; one woman and three men, all dressed in green clothing that made it seem as if they had melted right out of the forest surrounding the city. They stopped just inside the gates, exchanging cautious looks with the gathered crowd. Neither side had made any hostile move yet, but neither had decided that the others were peaceful either.

A wave swept through the crowd and it parted, the people in the front carefully avoiding to get closer to the strangers as they moved out of the way of a woman flanked by several soldiers carrying massive double edged axes. The woman was tall and walked with the obvious confidence of a leader who held the respect of her people. Her clothes signaled status as well with bright colors and a grand feather headdress atop her long white hair. The hair stood in contrast to her face; the bronzed skin was smooth and wrinkle-free around a pair of bright blue eyes. As the woman stepped into the circle that had formed around the strangers silence fell. Every whisper and scuffle stopped and all eyes turned attentively in the same direction.

The woman let the silence stretch out, taking the time to study the strangers thoroughly. Her eyes landed first on the woman standing to her left and she pondered if she might be the leader of the group, since she was the only female. Her hair was light, yellow, and cut into a short style that shifted slightly in the soft wind. The clothes they all wore were unflattering to her, giving no shape to her feminine body. If she had been the leader she would most likely have arranged for better suited attire. The way she held the weapon across her chest, casually but ready, also communicated she was more of a warrior.

Next she turned her gaze on the men, the largest dark-skinned one drawing her attention at once. He seemed different than the others. His bald head was adorned with a gold emblem and he carried a different weapon; a long spear of some kind with a blunt head. If he hadn't worn the same clothing as the others she would not have guessed he belonged with them. He was even clearer a warrior than the woman, his stance leaving no question as to his power and fighting ability.

The eldest one stood between the woman and the dark one. His hair had glints of gray in it, but she sensed it would be unwise to count him out because of age. His brown eyes shone of strength and cunning. It seemed likely he was the leader, especially considering the somewhat protective position he was taking in front of the others. He didn't hesitate to meet her eyes either; appraising her as she was appraising him. She was about to speak to him when he suddenly took a half step back and gestured the fourth member of the group forward.

This one was definitely different. He was not a warrior, she could tell by the way he moved and the fact that he was not carrying any larger weapon. He looked young as well. A mop of hazel brown hair framed the blue eyes sitting behind a strange glass contraption on his face. He smiled widely and approached her with open hands.

"Hello, I am Daniel Jackson, and this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Captain Samantha Carter and Teal'c." He pointed at each of his companions in order as he spoke; first the eldest one, then the woman and last the dark-skinned. "We are peaceful explorers from the planet Earth. Are you the leader of this people?"

She nodded, the feathers of her headdress dancing from the motion.

"I am Xilah, queen and high priestess of Coyolxauhqui. I welcome you to the city of Mixcoatco. Come! Share a meal with me and we shall be friends and talk."

* * *

"Just eat it, Jack."

The colonel frowned, but didn't deign to answer Daniel's whispered admonishment. His attention was squarely focused on the piece of so called food in his hand. It was some kind of meat, that much he could figure out, but it smelled funny and no matter how many times Daniel told him so he would not believe it tasted 'just like pork'. Barely trying to hide a disgusted grimace he put the morsel down and opted for a piece of fruit instead. It looked like pineapple, and smelled like it too. _Much safer._

Daniel sighed at his childish behavior; himself taking a large bite of meat and chewing slowly while nodding appreciatively to their host. The taste wasn't bad. It was really similar to pork, even if there was an unusual sweet accent to it. _Perhaps a local variant of pig – or maybe it's just the cooking._ The meat was grilled but cold, and Daniel drew the conclusion it must have been prepared earlier. It was obvious this people had some kind of preservative storage, though it was unlikely it was anything like Earth's refrigerators. They didn't seem advanced enough for that kind of technology.

"What brings you to our fair land, noble visitors?"

Daniel swallowed quickly.

"We are explorers. We search for knowledge and friendship with your people. Would you please tell me of your culture? What do your people call yourselves?"

"We are Mixcoatl's children," Xilah responded with pride. "He built this city for us in honor of his daughter Coyolxauhqui. And now he has blessed us with a visit. We are honored to receive you."

"We're honored to be here, and I hope our meeting will lead to friendship between our peoples."

"I hope so too. You must stay a while; we will have a feast and celebrate – then consolidate our treaty."

"Of course we will. And we would also like to see more of your city and learn of your culture."

The queen nodded and with a wave of her hand summoned a couple of soldiers to her side.

"My Otomi will accompany you and show you anything you would like to see. Meanwhile I will begin the preparations for the celebration. When you are satisfied with the sights rooms will have been prepared for you here in the palace. Tomorrow we will feast to the honor of the gods."

"We don't need…"

"Jack!" Daniel halted the colonel's protest and thanked Xilah for her concern while Jack muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

With the two soldiers in tow SG-1 wandered out into the city. As promised they were shown everything they asked for, even the barracks and weapon smithies. Jack was more than a little surprised; he had only asked to be able to gauge the soldiers' reactions. Daniel's next request was more innocent, but just as quickly fulfilled.

On their sightseeing they had eventually come all the way down to the city wall. Daniel had informed his teammates that this was in order to put the potentially dangerous fires of the smithies far away from the living quarters. Now that Daniel asked to see their most important cultural or religious place, the team was led back up through the streets. Daniel took the opportunity to study the buildings they passed, often stopping to take a closer look at a colorful wall or street decoration. There weren't a lot of people around and to his disappointment the ones they saw didn't seem to want to talk to him.

"I think they're a little afraid of us," he said to Sam who at the moment was walking next to him.

"I'm sure they'll come around."

"I guess so," Daniel sighed.

Jack was a few steps behind them and paying close attention to their surroundings as well, but with a completely different agenda. As the ever vigilant battle strategist he was memorizing the city plan – in case they would need to make a hasty departure. It wasn't easy; the streets were laid out in a complicated pattern that led the thoughts to a labyrinth. _Why would anyone build a city that's a labyrinth? Must be hell running errands around here._

They reached the foot of a huge set of stairs and Daniel stopped to take in the majestic temple rising up before them. It was an immense pyramidal structure built out of big blocks of stone. The side that was facing them seemed to consist completely out of steps, leading up to an arch-like shrine at the top.

"May we go up?" Daniel asked the soldiers, his eyes shining with excitement. Jack recognized the expression on his face and thanked his lucky stars that for once he wasn't at the receiving end of the puppy-dog pleading. To his surprise the Otomi soldier hardly blinked, then shook his head and moved in-between the curious archaeologist and the temple.

"Only the priests may enter the temple outside of a celebration. The gods would strike you down, Tlatoani."

Daniel tried his best to hide his disappointment and didn't object when the soldier suggested they retire to the palace. Jack sidled up to him.

"What did he call you?"

"Tlatoani? It's Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec. I'm pretty sure these people are their descendants. The city looks just like the ruins that have been discovered in Mexico. Not to mention the temple; it's practically a copy of the pyramid of Santa Cecilia Acatitlan. It's smaller than Templo Mayor, the great temple of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, but..."

"Yeah, yeah, but what does 'Tatoni' mean?"

"Oh…that's _Tlatoani_, Jack. It means speaker. It's a term for the ruler, or king, of an altepetl. That's what they called a city-state like this one. The Aztec Empire mostly consisted of city-states that were independent apart from a system of tribute-paying. In the Early Aztec period there was a lot of competition between different city-states, but they still remained the most preferred form of local government even after the empire was formed…"

Jack let Daniel ramble on in his lecture mode and simply zoned him out. He found it funny that the guy could be such a genius and still so clue-less. He knew what the soldier had called him meant but seemed to completely miss the implication. He'd called him a king, and for Jack that confirmed his impression that they perceived Daniel as the leader of the team. He didn't mind; he wasn't territorial about his command – unless it was a question of keeping his people safe. Then he made sure they knew who was in charge. At the moment though there seemed to be no danger and he happily left the diplomatic equivalent of the city maze to Daniel.


	2. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 2

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 2**

At the palace the Otomi soldiers handed their guests over to the servants, who guided them to their accommodations. Daniel opened the door to his luxurious room and stifled a gasp of amazement. The walls were covered with thick tapestries and drapes. The centre piece of the room was a large bed made of dark wood covered with intricate carvings. As he took a closer look and let his hand slide over the three dimensional figures, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he called and greeted the four young women who entered with a smile. "Hello."

"Greetings, Tlatoani." They bowed with reverence. _Oh no, not again,_ Daniel thought and hurried over to them.

"No, no. You don't have to do that. I'm not your king."

One of the women straightened up and stepped forward. She was a few inches shorter than him and fairly young. He guessed she couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen years old. Her black hair was pulled away from her face but fell in soft waves around her shoulders.

"We have come to aid you in your purification for the celebrations in the morrow."

"Ehm? Oh!" Daniel felt his cheeks flush red when he realized what she meant. "That…won't be necessary. I can…p…purify myself."

"With all respect, Tlatoani." She bowed again. "Our queen insists we aid you. It is possible your customs are different than ours, and it is most important you are cleansed in the proper way before entering the temple of our gods."

"Wait, did you say 'enter the temple'?" Suddenly his embarrassment was forgotten. The young woman nodded vigorously.

"Yes. Tomorrow's celebration is in your honor."

"And if I'm not…properly…purified…?"

"You cannot approach the divine."

_And without the celebration we can probably kiss the treaty goodbye_, Daniel added in his mind. _Jack wouldn't be very happy about that. And I wouldn't want to miss a chance to see a working Aztec temple. When in Rome…_

"Alright," he said.

The young woman smiled, her face transforming with an inner light when she spontaneously expressed her relief that he had agreed, and Daniel couldn't help responding in kind. She grabbed his hand and led him to the far side of the room. Hidden behind a drape was the entrance to a stone tiled bathroom, almost as large as the bedroom. The majority of the floor space was taken up by a shallow pool fed with fresh water through a series of waterfalls. Steam rose from the pool and Daniel assumed the water must be led in from a natural hot spring.

The woman began unbuttoning his BDU shirt, while the other three arranged a row of objects on a stone table. There were several sponges, a couple of bowls with flowers and soap, a large jug of oil and finally a few empty bowls. Intrigued by the decorative paint on the vessels Daniel hardly noticed he was being undressed until he felt a tug on the waistband on his pants.

"Woah!" he exclaimed and grabbed a hold of his pants. The woman backed away startled, cowering into a deep bow.

"Forgive me, Tlatoani."

Daniel heard fear in her voice and realized he had shouted louder than intended.

"No, no. I'm not angry," he assured her. "I just…I'd rather do it myself."

She straightened up a bit and he managed to get eye contact. He held her eyes and tried to smile calmingly.

"By the way, my name is Daniel – you shouldn't call me Tlatoani. What's your name?"

"I am called Cuatl." Her voice was still a little hesitant, but Daniel's heaven blue eyes and open kindness were already working their magic on her. Before Daniel had fully removed his boots and pants, her confidence had almost completely returned.

"Danil…you must remove all your clothing."

He looked down on his boxers; the only item that stood between him and serious embarrassment. His face heated again. _Oh, Jack's gonna have a field day with this one. I'm never going to hear the end of it._ He scanned the room. There was nothing to hide behind, and unwilling to offend or unsettle the women further he decided he couldn't refuse. _Maybe if I just get them off quickly and get into the water. _He hurried to pull the underwear off and descended in the pool, feeling like the shade of red was spreading to his entire body.

The women let him soak for a while. The water was a perfect temperature with just enough warmth to slowly seep into his body and relax the muscles. He closed his eyes and for a moment he almost forgot he wasn't alone in the bathroom.

"Danil?" Cuatl's voice brought him back to the present to discover her standing at the edge of the water. She had removed her blouse and knee-length wrap skirt, but to his relief she wasn't entirely naked like him. Instead a number of sashes had been wrapped around her to form a kind of bikini. In her hands she held one of the bowls of soap and a sponge.

"It is time to scrub you with the chipahuatl."

_Chipahuatl? Chipahua means clean, and atl is water. Clean water…must be their name for soap. _

While Daniel busied himself with the linguistics Cuatl stepped into the water and sat down next to him. The bowl she held was carved out of wood and floated on the surface when she let it go to soak the sponge with water. With a mumbled prayer she dipped it in the soap and began to gently rub it across his shoulders. She made no sign of noticing his flinch, or the once more returning blush on his cheeks.

The three women on the side of the pool however were not so considerate. Their giggles echoed back and forth between the stone walls, making the blushing worse. Daniel ducked his head and tried to hide behind his long hair, eliciting another wave of giggles.

"Get out!"

Cuatl shot out of the water like a rocket. The other women silenced and cowered just like she had in front of Daniel. She didn't have to tell them twice; another step in their direction and they disappeared out the door with a backwards bowing scuttle. Without another word Cuatl returned into the water and commenced her scrubbing. The low hum of her mumbled prayers soothed Daniel again as she moved on from his back to his arms and legs. When she reached his thighs she met his eyes and offered him the sponge with only a hint of a smile. He accepted it with a smile of his own resounding with the gratitude he felt, and finished the cleaning of his more private parts.

When he was done Cuatl motioned for him to come out of the water and handed him a soft cotton towel. While he dried off she prepared the next step of the purification. She mixed the different flowers in an empty bowl and gently crushed them with a pestle until they released their scent. Next she divided the flower paste in two separate bowls and added some oil to one of them. With the two mixtures prepared she turned to Daniel.

"This is for your body," she said and showed him the bowl with just flowers, "and this is for your hair." This time she pointed to the bowl that had oil in it and he nodded that he understood.

Taking his nod as a sign she grabbed the first bowl and approached him. She took up a bit of the pasty content and rubbed it into the skin on his arm, brushing the loose crumbs of petals away before moving on to the other arm. His legs and torso received the same treatment, but she didn't go up under the towel he had wrapped around his waist. Next she pulled out a wooden stool from under the table and asked him to sit. The content of the second bowl was poured over his head and Daniel felt Cuatl's fingers massage it into his scalp and hair.

"Now you are purified," she said when she had finished. "We have brought some clothing for you to wear at the celebration. If you please I could show them to you?"

Daniel nodded and Cuatl led the way into the bedroom. After being dismissed from the bath the three other women had made themselves useful and laid out the clothes on the bed. Cuatl gave them an approving nod and sent them to clean up in the bathroom.

"The queen sends you several sets of clothing to choose from." She held up one of the garments that looked like a long scarf. "This is a maxtlatl. May I show you how it is worn?"

Daniel nodded again, but immediately regretted it when she motioned for him to remove his towel. He was curious though, so he took a deep breath and lowered the fabric. With a quick movement Cuatl wrapped the scarf around his hips and tucked it between his legs before tying it in a knot. The leftover fabric at the ends draped between his legs but in Daniel's opinion it left quite a bit to be desired in terms of coverage. Cuatl picked up another garment.

"This is tilmahtli. It is a mantle to be worn with the maxtlatl. The queen honors you greatly by sending you such fine garments. This one has threads of gold and silver laid into the pattern." She draped the mantle over his shoulders and tied it at the front. The big piece of fabric covered his entire body all the way to the ankles, but Daniel still felt naked. Regardless he smiled at Cuatl.

"Thank you."

"It was an honor to aid you, Tlatoani." She bowed her goodbye and called the other women with her to leave.

Left on his own Daniel retrieved his BDU's from the bathroom. Then he wriggled out of the Aztec clothing and carefully laid them out over a chair. He hoped he wouldn't offend anyone by not wearing them to the feast the next day. Back in his familiar attire he crawled into bed and was soon fast asleep.


	3. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 3

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 3**

Jack woke early and lay confused for a moment in the soft bed. He was used to waking up in strange places; almost every night they camped out on an alien planet. But that was just it – they usually camped out. The number of alien worlds that received them with these kinds of comforts could be counted on one hand. His mind cleared quickly and he remembered yesterday's surprisingly smooth first encounter with the locals. The thought made a wrinkle appear on his brow. He didn't particularly like smooth – no matter how little he liked the opposite. Smooth always seemed to come back to bite them in the ass on a later date.

He wasn't about to complain though; he hadn't slept this well in a long time. After showing him his room the servants had left him alone, and he had fallen for the temptation to take a long bath in the pool in his bathroom. The warm waters had left him sleepy and he had promptly fallen into a deep sleep that lasted all through the night.

Refreshed and in the mood for some tactical snooping Jack donned his uniform and left his room. In the hallway he hesitated for a moment and considered waking one or two of his teammates to join him, but he decided it was unnecessary. It was still early and yesterday's events had not given him any reason to think he'd be at risk from wandering around on his own. Besides, he was a soldier and well armed. He could defend himself if it came to that.

He saw no one as he strolled through the halls of their wing, but as he drew nearer to the centre of the palace activity increased. Servants were hurrying back and forth with flowers and other preparations for the feast. Aside from a respectful nod and quickly getting out of his direct path none of them seemed to notice him, which suited him perfectly. The less attention he drew the more he in turn could observe.

He hung around the main hall for a while, watching as several banquet tables were set up and laid for the guests. After some time he noticed that many of the preparations were also leaving the palace so he joined the steady stream of servants to find out where they were going. It didn't take him long to recognize the path to the temple, and even though he would never admit it to Daniel he became a bit curious to see if he could sneak in and see it.

The plaza in front of the temple was as much a hub of activity as the main hall of the palace had been. The whole area was full of workers erecting tables of purely gigantic proportions. It seemed that the entire city would be invited to the feast. The servants Jack had been following joined the preparations, arranging flowers for decorations and in several huge copper vats right beneath the temple stairs. Preparations were being done on the temple as well. Halfway up the grand staircase was a wide landing where a row of big fires burned with flames that almost contended with the rising sun. A dozen priests in bead and feather decorated cloaks milled around the inferno, tending the fires and mounting several big roasting spits. Since no one but the priests went near the temple Jack decided it was safest not to press his luck and stayed down on the plaza as well.

Finally he became bored with watching and strolled back to the palace to see if any of his teammates had woken up yet. He found Teal'c in the main hall, doing much the same as Jack had a while earlier.

"Morning, T."

"Good morning, O'Neill."

Jack leaned against the wall next to his Jaffa friend.

"Sleep well?"

"I rested well."

"Yeah, is this a sweet place or what?!"

Teal'c didn't respond, just lifted an eyebrow at the odd expression. He was getting better at understanding his Tauri teammates, but once in a while they said things that he couldn't make sense of. _A location cannot have a taste._ Jack suppressed a sigh.

"Let's go fetch Sam and Daniel, and find out when this party is gonna get started."

When they reached their hallway they met Sam outside Daniel's room, with a more than a little concerned look on her face. Jack's hackles went up.

"Carter? What's up?"

"It's Daniel, sir. He's not in his room. Some of his things are still in there, but there's no trace of him."

"Are you sure he didn't just go for a stroll? He does have a tendency to wander off, and this place _is_ like a candy store for someone like him." Jack tried to hide the twinge of worry that had appeared in the pit of his stomach.

"I know, sir. I figured as much, but when I tried to hail him on the radio I found that he had left it behind."

_Crap!_ Jack made a grimace and barely resisted the urge to ram his fist into something. _I thought I had trained him not to do that anymore. _

"Well, let's go see if someone's seen him," he said aloud and led the way back through the corridors. They halted everyone they met and finally found a servant girl who lit up at the mention of Daniel's name.

"Yes, Tlatoani Danil. I had the honor to aid him in his purification yesterday. He is with the queen until the celebration where he will be honored. You will see him there."

Jack frowned. He didn't like his team separated on an alien planet, but he could almost hear Daniel objecting to him trying to find him. "It's their custom" he would say, and wave off Jack's worry as unfounded. Reluctantly he resisted insisting on seeing Daniel.

"When will this celebration begin?" he asked instead.

"At noontide, lord. If you wait in your chambers someone will come fetch you when it is time to gather."

A glance at his watch told Jack there were still a few hours left until noon.

"I think we'll just take a walk instead, if you don't mind," he said and checked the girl's expression to see if she would object. She smiled and pointed down a nearby corridor.

"The royal gardens are down that hall. The queen's guests are free to go anywhere they like. The runner-boys will find you when it is time for the celebration."

The time snaked by as they waited. There wasn't much to entertain themselves with. Another recon of the palace and surrounding areas reveled there was indeed nowhere they weren't allowed to go, except into the queen's chambers. That's where they were told Daniel was, and Jack assumed the two of them were probably engaged in tedious treaty negotiations. No matter how it itched him to have one of his people out of sight he was not very inclined to barge into that conversation. When it came to diplomacy Daniel needed his input just as much as he would enjoy giving it.

In the end the three of them ended up dozing on a lawn in the garden, each drifting off in their own thoughts as they watched the clouds sail by on the blue sky. _Good day for a party,_ Jack thought and considered sharing the conclusion with Sam who lay a few feet away. The words died before they reached his lips though; it was too much effort to say them.


	4. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 4

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 4**

"Lords and lady." The voice of a young boy brought Jack back and he realized he had almost fallen asleep in the grass. He glanced at Sam when he sat up but neither she nor Teal'c made a sign of having noticed his laps in attention.

"It is time for the celebration," the boy continued, motioning for them to come with him. He led them through the palace and out towards the temple. At the foot of the stairs he stopped for a moment to make a reverent gesture, before leading them up to the landing. The fires had burned down to smoldering ash piles that radiated their heat several feet away. At the centre of the landing a baldachin offered its shadow to four wooden armchairs facing the top of the pyramid. The boy bowed and left them; hurrying down the steep stairs at a neck-break speed that lived up to his title as runner-boy.

The view from the landing was breathtaking. Right beneath the temple was the plaza where just as Jack had suspected, the entire population of the city was assembled to partake in the celebration.

"There must be tens of thousands of people down there," he heard Sam say under her breath. He nodded and lifted his gaze to take in the rest of the panorama before him. They were higher up than he had thought. The city itself was built on a hill and the temple sat at the apex of it. The vantage point gave an almost birds-eye view of the city, confirming Jack's suspicion of its maze layout. Beyond the city walls the forest stretched out like a thick green carpet. A barely noticeable gap in the foliage marked the spot where Jack knew the Stargate stood, a good three hours walk from the city. The thought of it gave him a strange feeling that in lack of a better word he would have to refer to as homesickness. For a moment he could barely suppress the urge to grab his team and head for the hills – or rather off the hill.

"Are you okay, sir?" Carter lightly touched his shoulder and he realized he had spaced out. He shrugged and turned away from the view.

"Just got an uneasy feeling. It's probably nothing, but I hope Daniel shows up soon."

At that moment there was a commotion on the plaza. The crowd shifted with a wave of anticipation as a procession appeared from the palace. The queen walked first. She wore an even more extravagant feather headdress than when she had greeted them at the city gates. Daniel walked a step behind, flanked by four Otomi soldiers. Even from their high place on the pyramid Jack could see he wasn't wearing his uniform but some kind of garishly colored cloak. The procession ended with a large group of young men dressed in nothing but loincloths to cover their sunburned skin.

The procession made its way to the foot of the temple and started up the stairs. When they passed by the baldachin Daniel smiled widely and waved to his teammates. Jack caught a glimpse of a black T-shirt and green BDU-pants under the cloak, but to his annoyance Daniel wasn't wearing any shoes. Of course, none of the locals wore shoes – not even the queen – but Jack had told Daniel repeatedly that there were limits to how far he should go to blend in. Daniel's 'anthropologic methods' had almost lost them Sam on that planet with the Mongolians.

Jack, Sam and Teal'c took their seats while the procession continued their climb to the top of the pyramid. Half way up to it Jack could see the shrine clearer than he had from the ground. From this angel he could see that the dark opening in the arch was in fact barred with a metal gate, and on the landing in front of it he could make out a six feet high wooden pole. _I wonder why I didn't notice those things before._ The feeling he'd gotten when taking in the view returned and his fingers subconsciously wandered to his weapon. The familiarity of the stock in his hand calmed him a little.

Upon reaching the shrine the young men stepped inside and the gate was locked behind them. Jack thought he could almost see the crease between Daniel's eyes and could imagine his thoughts. The proceedings were at least making Jack feel more and more uneasy. He cast a glance in Sam's direction and noticed her hands had also found their way to ready position on her gun. On her other side Jack could detect the barely noticeable tension in Teal'c's grip on his staff weapon that said he was also on edge and watchful.

The queen's voice brought Jack's attention back to the top of the temple. She was standing on the edge facing her people and speaking in a loud voice that carried surprisingly well through the clear air.

"People of Mixcoatco! Mixcoatl has honored us with a visit. Today we celebrate and honor Daniel Jackson of Earth."

The crowd exploded in cheers and even from his seat Jack could see that Daniel was blushing. He smirked. _I bet you've realized they think you're some kind of king by now. _

Suddenly the Otomi grabbed Daniel and dragged him towards the wooden pole. A rope was tied around his hands and hoisted him up until his feet lost contact with the ground. A row of archers appeared from behind the shrine and with a sinking feeling in his stomach Jack made the horrifying connections.

Unhooking the safety on his weapon he stormed up the stairs, contently noting that Sam and Teal'c were right on his heels. He still had a few steps left when the archers put their arrows to the bows and the queen lifted her hand to give the signal. With a last push he threw himself onto the landing, diving towards the archers in the same moment as they let the arrows fly.

His football tackle toppled the entire row over like a set of dominoes, sending the arrows every which way. Getting to his feet Jack leveled his gun on the downed archers.

"Stay down," he hissed between his teeth before swinging round to check on their intended victim.

Sam was already at Daniel's side – attempting to stem the bleeding from a wound in his side. _Damn it!_ Jack knew he should be glad only one of the arrows had found its target but to him it was one too many. While Sam steadied the already weakening archaeologist Teal'c cut the rope holding him up. Then, with a gentleness that spoke of his affection for the young man, he picked Daniel up in his arms and gave Jack a sign that he was ready to go. Without a word the team had agreed their visit to this planet had abruptly come to its end.

Jack looked down to the plaza and felt panic claw its way to his heart. There was no way they'd get out that way. Sensing a movement in the corner of his eye he spun around and caught one of the Otomi soldiers under the chin with the butt of his gun. He fired his weapon into the air and locked his eyes on the queen.

"Keep your soldiers back, or I start shooting at people."

The queen made an acquiescing gesture and the remaining Otomi backed away.

"Now – is there a back exit to this place?"

She nodded and pointed mutely in the direction the archers had appeared from. Jack waved for Sam to take point and waited for her and Teal'c to disappear behind the corner before he hurried after them. He was more than convinced the queen would be sending her soldiers after them as soon as the immediate danger was over. As far too often, their escape depended on speed.

The back of the temple was pretty much the same as the front, except that the steep staircase led down to a narrow alley instead of a vast open plaza. _At least its empty_, Jack thought as he navigated the descent at as high a pace as he dared. The others were still a distance ahead of him and he was satisfied to see Teal'c barely slowed by his burden. Taking the last steps in a jump Jack ordered his team to take a right. As they rushed between the stone walls he went through his mental map of the city. _I guess this is why they built it like a labyrinth. So their sacrifice victims won't be able to get away._ The thought filled him with bitterness. _I knew smooth was going to bite us in the ass._

"We have to get around the plaza!" he yelled to Sam up ahead and got a hand signal that she had understood.

As soon as possible they turned right again but the new road led to a dead end and forced them to backtrack. There was no sound of pursuers yet, but Jack kept a watchful eye behind them as they tried another path.

After several dead ends and paths that took them nowhere nearer the city gates Jack was becoming irritated. They had sighted the Otomi looking for them a couple of times, but had so far avoided detection. That would not last indefinitely. They were on the enemies' home turf; their only chance was to get out of the city. In the forest they would be on better footing – not to mention reaching the Stargate and getting off the planet entirely. Jack made the decision.

"Wait up," he called and pressed himself to catch up with Teal'c. "Is he awake?"

"He is," Daniel answered from his perch in the Jaffa's arms. He sounded a bit annoyed and in his next breath Jack was informed of the reason. "And I can walk on my own. Tell him, Jack."

"Save your strength, Danny. I need your brain trust. Do you know the way out of this city? Maybe some 'PhD in archaeology'-knowledge of Aztec street-labyrinths?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. This isn't a typical Aztec city plan. There seems to be several differences between this people and the Aztec of Earth. If it was intentionally built to misguide there must be some way to navigate it though. The people who live here seem to have no problems getting around. There has to be some kind of system…" He silenced but Jack could see the wheels beginning to turn in his genius friend's head.

"Alright! You keep figuring that system out and let us know when you've got it. Meanwhile we've got to keep moving."

Daniel paid close attention to the twists and turns as they continued, and suddenly he gave a loud shout.

"That's it! Jack! I've got it."

Jack rushed to Teal'c's side.

"Can you get us to the city gates?"

"I think so. We're nearly at the base of the hill, I think. The city wall shouldn't be much further that way," he pointed the way they had been going, "but we shouldn't head that way. If I'm right it will be impossible to follow it to the gates."

"But you know how to get us there?"

"Yeah, sure. We need to head back and take a right."

"A right? Won't that take us back behind the temple? That's the opposite direction, Daniel."

"I know. That's the system. A fugitive would look for the shortest way to the gates, but the quickest way goes in the direction perpendicular to the place you want to go. Plus," He smiled a little smugly, "there are well hidden street markings that say that is the way to the city gates." Jack didn't know if he should be happy or angry.

"If you weren't wounded I would smack you over the head," he said but led the way in the direction Daniel had indicated.

Their counter-intuitive path led them in meandering twists but finally they could make out the city gates at the end of their current street. Jack signed for the others to take up cover and slowly approached the open space in front of their exit. As expected a troupe of soldiers were posted with view of all approach paths and the gates were barred with heavy log bars. He withdrew to his waiting team.

"It's pretty thick. The gate's locked and there's a bunch of soldiers guarding it. We could shoot our way out, I guess…"

"No, Jack!" Daniel interrupted. "We can't just kill them. There has to be another way out."

"I was going to say 'but I prefer not to'," Jack responded pointedly. "I'm gonna see if there's a way up to the rooftops and get an overview of the area."

Jack left them in their hideout again and checked out the nearby buildings. Finally he found one with a staircase leading to a roof terrace about five houses down from the gates. It was on the right side; the house's back wall came right up against the city wall. There was still a half-dozen feet to the top of the wall, though. He searched the terrace and wished they hadn't left their packs in their chambers. In his he always kept a length of climbing rope for situations just like this. His eyes fell on the sunscreen stretched over one half of the roof and he smiled.

He hurried back to fetch the others and filled them in on his plan. Back up on the roof Teal'c put Daniel down and helped Jack dismantle the sunscreen. Sam took the time to redress Daniel's wound. It was still bleeding a little but it looked better than it had at first. Once they got over the wall he might be able to continue on his own to the Stargate.

While Sam tended her patient the men had refashioned the sunscreen into a long rope and devised a grappling hook out of a couple of metal tools. Jack was sure Daniel would be able to tell him later what the strange curved knives were actually for – _and chastise me for ruining the brand new archaeological finds. _

Teal'c got the grappling hook caught on the edge of the wall on the first attempt, but Jack insisted to be the first to try climbing it. He scaled the wall without difficulty; its rough surface provided plenty of footholds. At the top he settled himself with one leg on each side of the surprisingly thin wall, and signaled the others to follow. Sam helped Daniel to the rope. Jack could see him grit his teeth as he began climbing. _Must hurt like hell to do that with a wound in his side. Not that Daniel would ever complain. He would keep going until he literally dropped dead if necessary._

Having gotten their wounded team member up safely Sam and Teal'c followed. Once they were all perched astride the wall they pulled up the rope and moved the grappling hook to the inside of the wall, hoping that the rope would be long enough to get them down safely on the outside. There was no going back now. They slid down in the same order they'd climbed; luckily only dropping the last three feet onto the soft ground.

Just as Teal'c lowered himself below the edge he heard a shout. They had been spotted. When he landed they could hear the commotion of the logs being lifted from the gates and officers barking orders. Without looking back the team hurried into the forest.


	5. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 5

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 5**

Daniel's bare feet twisted on the uneven ground. It hurt when rocks and twigs cut into his soles but he made no sound about it. He didn't want to slow the others down by being a burden. Inevitably, though, he started falling behind. The breath was catching in his throat and the wound in his side had opened and started bleeding again. His vision got more and more blurred and he stumbled on obstacles he couldn't see. Finally he tripped over a fallen log and crashed head first into the ground.

Jack spun around at the crack behind him and rushed back to his fallen friend; cursing himself for not being on their six to make sure no one fell behind. Noting that Daniel wasn't moving his gut froze.

"Carter!" he yelled while kneeling down and flipping Daniel to his back, realizing that he was breathing – albeit shallowly.

"We need some cover," he decided and looked around to spot a thicker area of underbrush. "Over there," he pointed.

With combined efforts they moved Daniel into the bushes where they should be hidden from view. Teal'c went over the area where he had fallen and disguised their retreat, hopefully making it so that the pursuers would think they had simply passed by this location.

Sam checked Daniel's wound and redressed it. Then she moved on to his feet and wrapped them too, while Jack silently berated himself that he had forgotten that Daniel wasn't wearing any shoes. _Damn it, Jack!_

A sound drew his attention. He couldn't see anybody but he was sure the Otomi were close on their heels. Too close. _We're not going to make it to the 'gate. Daniel won't be able to run again, he probably wouldn't even be able to walk –_ _or at least he shouldn't. _Someone would have to carry him if they were going to get there to the Stargate at all, and despite his strength even Teal'c would be slowed down by the burden in the thick forest. Jack had to make a decision.

"Okay, guys," he said. "I'm gonna draw them away from the 'gate…"

"NO!" Sam objected. "We shouldn't split up, sir."

In any other situation, on any other team, those kinds of words from a captain to a colonel would have been insubordination, but SG-1 wasn't like any other team. Through all they'd seen and done they had become more than that, and Jack had learned to more than often heed the opinions of his teammates. This time though he didn't budge.

"We have to," he insisted. "Teal'c will have to carry Daniel, and you have to cover them. If I draw the enemy off you can get a head start for the 'gate. I'll just circle around and be right behind you."

Daniel heard the exchange through a fog of barely consciousness and he felt the same reluctance as Sam to letting Jack go out there alone. He forcefully peeled his eyes open, just as Sam pressed out a definitely not subordinate 'yes, sir' between tight lips.

"Jack…" His voice was little more than a whisper, but the colonel heard him and was immediately by his side. "Jack…I'm sorry." The words were silly and seemed to come with great effort, but they were so typically Daniel that they almost made Jack cry with joy. To ward off the mushiness he resorted to the usual path of joking banter.

"Oh, shut up, Daniel, or I might just smack you this time." The warmth in his voice contradicted the harsh words and Daniel smiled weakly, and then tried again.

"Jack…"

"Save it, Daniel. I'm going. I'm just going to lead them on a little chase and then I'll be right behind you through the 'gate. Easy-peasy!"

Daniel gave up, but not before giving him a scowl that said he only did so because he simply didn't have the strength to argue. Jack looked to the other two for any further objections, but as evident as they were on their faces neither Sam nor Teal'c uttered their feelings. With a nod confirming the silent objections were noted and that he appreciated the silent part he turned and peered out through the branches.

There were no sounds of the pursuers now, and as before he could see no one. That didn't mean they weren't there though, even if Jack hoped it did. Careful not to rustle the leaves Jack snuck out of the bushes and silently headed into the forest. He walked at a right angle to the direction of the Stargate, taking care not to make a sound before his friend's hideout were well out of sight. Then he intentionally began moving less carefully, snapping twigs and swatting branches to make noise that would hopefully attract the Otomi's attention. If they heard them the sounds would also act as the signal for the rest of his team to begin their own stealthy progress to the 'gate.

The plan seemed well conceived; it didn't take long before he heard the sounds of pursuers behind him. He could only hope that meant the others had been left to make an unseen escape. There was no time however to dwell on his friends. The Otomi were gaining on him. He glanced behind and caught a glimpse of one of them stopping to draw his bow. Jack dove out of the way and the arrow missed its mark, only gracing his left bicep and leaving a slash in his jacket stained with a trickle of blood. It stung but it was barely even a flesh wound and wouldn't slow him down. For good measure he spun around anyway and fired off a retaliating barrage of bullets in the archer's direction, and then set off again.

Meanwhile the rest of the team was, as Jack had hoped, making their way to the Stargate seemingly undetected. Teal'c carried Daniel gently cradled in his arms while Sam was close behind with her weapon primed in case the Otomi decided to make an appearance after all. Eventually the forest started to look familiar, and the glade where the Stargate stood opened beyond the last trees. They stopped and hunched down in the underbrush.

"Figures it was a little too easy," Sam mumbled as she bent the branches apart to see seven Otomi warriors guarding the big circle of naquada. Beside her Teal'c carefully placed Daniel down on the ground before he as well took a look at the men standing between them and their way home.

"They are only carrying swords," he noted in a hushed voice. "We have superior weaponry."

Sam nodded, both to his observation and the unspoken conclusion. They had tried to avoid bloodshed so far, but no one should be fooled to think they were above it if there was no other way – and now there seemed to be no other way. She bent over Daniel to check on him and found him awake. The dressing on the wound in his side was hardly stained, but his feet still looked grisly. She redressed them with fresh bandages.

"There's a few enemy soldiers guarding the 'gate," she told him, "but not too many. You stay here while we take them out."

Daniel made a move to object but she halted him with a finger on his lips.

"We can handle them." When he still looked worried she drew her sidearm and pressed it in his hand. "Here, if we need help you can shoot through the bushes. But only if we need it, okay?! I don't want them to see you unnecessarily."

Daniel accepted the weapon, and the admonishments, even if Sam wasn't sure he was going to abide by them. Daniel had a tendency to follow his own mind in almost any situation. The only one he even seemed to occasionally listen to was Jack, and he wasn't here right now. Sam decided it wasn't worth arguing about and turned back to Teal'c.

"Let's go. Aim to disarm."

Teal'c nodded a little reluctantly. He wasn't quite as keen on leaving enemies alive as his Tauri friends. After another moment's consideration of the best strategy for attack, they crawled up to the very edge of the trees.

The first shots took the Otomi by surprise, capping a couple of knees and felling their owners to the ground. The rest were still in shock when Sam and Teal'c stormed them with more bullets and staff blasts aimed for arms and legs. It didn't take long before the two of them were the only left armed and standing. Praising their good luck Teal'c turned back to fetch Daniel, leaving Sam to keep an eye on the fallen.

Neither of them saw the three Otomi rising up from behind the Stargate platform, or heard the arrows flying from their bows. One sharp point embedded itself deep in Teal'c's muscular shoulder and before Sam had hardly registered the sight she felt a sharp twinge in her own flesh. For a moment she thought she was lucky the arrow had missed her heart, but then she realized it had struck exactly where intended. It hadn't been meant to kill, but simply to deliver something far more sinister than a simple arrow.

The poison worked quickly, sped by the precise delivery so close to her heart. In just a few breaths it dimmed her senses and stole away her balance, felling her to the ground as the sound and light disappeared from her. Her last thought before the darkness descended completely was the hope that Daniel wouldn't have revealed himself in a surely vain attempt to save them.

* * *

Jack had just started to close his circle around to head for the Stargate when he heard the shots fired, but it felt as if the sounds were coming to him from even further away than it should. _I'm not that far away from the 'gate am I? _Everything seemed a little further away than it should actually; sounds, vision. He had a sickening feeling that he was looking at the world through the wrong end of a telescope, making distance impossible to judge. One second a tree would seem miles away and then all of a sudden he had to swerve away to not run straight into it. He had a vague sense his movements were getting slower too – and that that was a bad thing. A frown crinkled his forehead as he tried to remember why, but before he could figure it out another tree appeared out of the distance into inches in front of him. This time he didn't have time to avoid it and his head hit the trunk with a smack, putting the last of his lights out only moments before the poison would have done the same.


	6. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 6

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 6**

Jack heard a moan. It was a sad sound carrying testimony of sharp and agonizing pain. As he sat up the sound was heard again and he realized that it came from him. The pain was in his head, reminding him of regretful mornings after foolish teenage nights. Holding his head between his hands he waited for the pain to recede, swallowing hard against the nausea making its way up his throat. _I'm too old for this. _Eventually the pounding slowed, allowing him to carefully open his eyes to take in the surroundings. A few feet to each side of him were two stone walls, joined over his head by an arching roof. Straight in front was a gate, held shut with a huge steel lock, and the striped light of the setting sun falling from behind informed him the forth wall consisted of similar metal bars. With horror he realized that even though he had never been there before he knew exactly where he was – inside the altar at the top of Mixcoatco's pyramid temple.

Another moan, this time not from him, drew his attention. He wasn't alone in this prison. The sound had come from a shape close to what he decided to call the left wall, and as he approached it on his hands and knees he noted blonde hair and a familiar green uniform. Sam was on her back, and by her tightly screwed shut eyes Jack guessed she was experiencing the same agonizing headache still deftly pounding in his own scull. Jack reached out to put a soothing hand on her shoulder, but the memory of a similar situation prompted him to speak first.

"Carter? It's just me. Don't bite me, okay?!"

Sam's eyelids lifted a fraction of an inch to meet his eyes. She gave another moan and her face contorted in an expression somewhere between a smile and a grimace of pain.

"I know," Jack said and let gentle fingertips feather over her forehead. "Just breathe through it and it'll get better."

He waited until he saw her face relax a little. Then he looked around again, hoping against hope. _They may have gotten me and Sam, but maybe the others got away. After all, junior should have protected Teal'c from the poison, right?_ Jack's heart sank when he spotted the answer to his question. Near the back wall lay a dark-skinned heap, breathing heavily. Jack scampered over and laid a careful hand on Teal'c's neck. The pulse was strong, and Teal'c must have been nearly awake because he stirred at the touch and let out a pained moan. The sign that the Jaffa was feeling the same symptoms as the humans worried Jack, but he filed the questions for later. At least he seemed no worse off than them. Giving Teal'c a pat on the shoulder he looked around again, and mixed feelings swirled in his heart at the absence of their forth teammate.

"Carter…" He scooted over to his second in command again, relieved to find her sitting up and looking a bit better. "What happened?" he asked, hesitating to let Daniel's name into the phrasing. The look in Sam's eyes said she understood precisely what question was really on his mind.

"There's a chance Daniel got away, sir. There were guards at the 'gate so he hid in the underbrush while we cleared the way, but they ambushed us. If he didn't reveal himself they might not have found him though. He might already have called for reinforcements."

The words were hopeful but her voice lacked some of the feeling, And Jack knew exactly how she felt. There were a lot of ifs and maybes to it, but then again – hope was more than a feeling. It was a decision, and not one difficult to make when it came to Daniel. The guy had after all surprised him from beyond worse odds than these. Jack nodded resolutely.

"I'm sure he got away."

* * *

Daniel saw the Otomi archers the moment they popped up from behind the Stargate platform, but he quickly realized there wasn't anything he could do to help his friends. He had raised his gun instinctively, but he stilled the finger on the trigger. The Otomis' arrows had already struck his friends, and even in the best of times Daniel knew he wasn't the best sharp shooter. He couldn't be sure he could take out all three archers before they got a shot in him.

Consequently he watched and waited. Watched as Sam and Teal'c both staggered from the poison delivered by the arrows. It worried him to see Teal'c react the same way as Sam. _Shouldn't Junior be protecting him? I sure hope that wasn't some kind of symbiote poison or he's might die even if we get away from this planet. _He watched the archers step out from behind the Stargate and stand over his friends, waiting for them to slip into unconsciousness. His grip on the gun hardened when it occurred to him that they might kill them where they lay, but he resisted firing and hoped the reason for the poison was that the Otomi wanted them alive. _But if they do it's probably just to kill us all instead of just me. Damn it, Daniel! How did you not see that development coming?!_ He bit down the curses echoing Jack's opinion on his trusting nature and focused on what was happening in the glade.

Sam and Teal'c were apparently completely out of it now, lying sprawled motionless on the ground. One of the Otomi poked Sam with his foot and said a few words to his comrades. Daniel couldn't quite make them out but he guessed it was an instruction because the other two walked over to Teal'c and, after giving him a couple of testing pokes, hauled him up and started dragging him across the ground. Giving an approving nod the speaker bent down and scooped Sam up in his arms. The movement reminded Daniel of the way Teal'c had carried him earlier but the likeness ended when the Otomi unceremoniously slung Sam over his shoulder and headed for the tree line – straight toward where Daniel was hiding.

He pressed himself against the ground and held his breath, not sure if he hoped they wouldn't discover him or that he would get a chance to catch them off guard and free his friends. They passed him so close that he could have reached out and touched them, but they never looked down or give him an opening that he could use without risk of injuring Sam or Teal'c. When they disappeared between the trees it was all he could do not to try anyway, but he knew he wouldn't manage to make the necessary quick succession shots in his current state.

He waited until the sounds of his friends' captors had faded into the forest, and then he waited a little longer, gathering strength to both mentally and physically. As he lay staring into the now quiet forest a thought struck him. _Where's Jack?_ He could only assume the Otomi had already taken him before they got this far. The other option – that they had killed him – he didn't even want to think about. _Apparently it's up to me to free them all._

With a joyless smile he pushed himself off the ground. Then he turned around and peeked out into the glade through the branches again. The archers had left their wounded comrades behind when they left, without even giving them another look. Only one of them was on his feet. He had taken a staff blast to the shoulder, and was bandaging the burn with a strip of cloth he could only have gotten from one of his less lucky comrades. Having covered up his wound he headed into the forest, in the opposite direction from the city, and just like the archers he didn't give the others as much as a parting glance. That left Daniel with six wounded enemies to deal with – _or actually five. _Despite Sam's instructions Teal'c had hit one of them square in the chest, giving him a very slim chance of still being alive.

Daniel considered the rest, all five in different levels of pain from wounds in their legs and arms. Even with an impaired aim he could easily pick them off from where he was hidden. He could almost hear Jack's voice in his head saying it was the most tactical course of action. The gun seemed to lift on its own, taking aim at the closest warrior, but something stopped him from firing. He couldn't do it. He couldn't just sit there and kill five defenseless men in cold blood. He lowered the weapon. Then he supported himself against a tree and pulled himself to his feet.

The pain in his soles was less than he had expected, but he still limped as he stepped into the glade. The Otomi saw him – and the gun in his hand. The ones who could reached for their dropped weapons, or retreated as fast as their wounded legs would allow. Daniel stopped and cleared his throat, letting his eyes connect with one pair of eyes after another.

"Okay, here's the deal," he said. "I'm not intending to shoot you, as long as you don't try to kill me. I could help you with your wounds, if you let me. Or we could just ignore each other. I think, though, that we could both benefit from getting along. Particularly since I seem to be more inclined to helping you than your friends who just left you here."


	7. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 7

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 7**

The wounded Otomi warriors considered Daniel's offer for several minutes; trading glances and a few Aztec words that Daniel did them the courtesy of pretending he didn't understand. Finally one of them gathered his courage and pointed his sword at Daniel.

"Why should we trust you?" he asked suspiciously.

Daniel lifted his hand holding the gun and waved it suggestively.

"There is the fact that I haven't shot you yet."

The man nodded slowly, thinking for another moment. Then he lowered his own weapon and waved Daniel closer. Daniel kept the gun in his hand as he walked over, keeping the other wounded in his view and out of arms length reach.

"What can you do to help?" the man asked to him as he knelt down take a look at the wound in his leg.

"I don't know, I have to examine you first."

He reached for the bloody hole in the man's leg, dropping the gun on the ground to use both hands to gently feel for an exit wound at the back. The man flinched when his touch sent fiery shocks of pain through his thigh, but he said nothing. Finding no exit wound Daniel paused, unfortunately knowing what he had to do next.

"What's your name?" he asked lightly in an attempt to distract the man as he prodded the bullet hole for the little metal object still lodged in there.

"Chimalli." The answer came on a short breath, between clenched teeth.

"Okay, Chimalli, I know this hurts but I have to find out where the bullet is. And…we might have to try to take it out."

"The bullet?"

"Yes, the projectile that Sa…that hit your leg. It's still in there and if we don't get it out you could get a lot worse fast. After it's removed we can bandage the wound and hopefully it'll heal. And…"

Daniel hesitated, sitting back on his heels and letting his blooded hands rest. The man in front of him seemed able to endure his prodding, and probably the procedure of removing the bullet as well, but Daniel wasn't sure he would be able to perform it. Up until a few years ago the entire concept of bullets, and especially the wounds they left, had been utterly foreign to him. Now he had felt the sting of them for himself more times then he wanted to think of, but he had never attempted to remove one himself.

"Look," he said. "I'm going to dial my home world and ask my friends to send help. They can bring medical equipment and they'll make sure you'll heal just fine. Okay?"

Chimalli hesitated as well. Accepting help from Daniel was one thing, but this was one step further. Letting him dial the Stargate and call his friends for help was more like betrayal, disloyalty towards his queen. Daniel read his face and understood what thoughts moved within; he had seen loyalty at work before and he knew the force it had. It drove people to follow their masters almost to any extreme. Surprisingly enough Chimalli didn't consider very long before he nodded affirmatively. Usually it took Daniel a lot more effort to make someone turn, and it was almost impossible when it came to warriors and soldiers. The surprise must have been evident on his face because Chimalli flashed him a small smile.

"I'm dead to my people anyway. We all are. Your offer gives a better chance of living."

The explanation didn't do much to settle Daniel's confusion.

"Dead to them? Why? You're gonna be fine."

Chimalli shook his head, losing the smile to a sad expression.

"It does not matter. I have lost in battle and I should be dead. I assume your friends showed us mercy by not killing us, but such a thing does not exist among our people. Here there is but winning or dying."

"Is that why the one who left before didn't go back to the city?"

"Yes. If he had returned to Mixcoatco he would be sacrificed. It would of course be an honor but he must have decided he wanted to live. He will try to reach a neighboring city and appeal to live with them, as I will take my chances surrendering to your people. As we all will." He made a gesture that encompassed the other men in the glade, and Daniel looked around to see them nodding their agreement. Apparently they had all decided they wanted to live. He smiled with relief.

"I'm glad to hear that. I don't really…I would rather leave removing those bullets to someone who has…done it before."

Daniel rose, wiping his hands on his pants, and walked over to the DHD. With a glance to his new allies he paused. _Maybe I shouldn't show them the address to Earth?_ Then he shrugged and punched in the symbols. _There's always the iris._ The thought wasn't as reassuring as it should have been, even if it was for a completely different reason than the potential threat of the Otomi knowing Earth's number. He had just realized that one of the many things he had naively left at the palace was his GDO, which meant that he couldn't go through the 'gate or he would end up as nothing but atoms spread over the back side of the trinium shield. Reaching for his radio he remembered he didn't have that either, so he couldn't call to inform the SGC of the situation. _What am I going to do now?_

He stood staring at the open wormhole, watching it ripple as his mind seemed to stand still – except for the imaginary voice of Jack yelling at him for being such a gullible idiot. Then, like a lightning strike from clear sky, an idea flashed into his mind. Frantically he started scanning the ground, giving a muted yelp of joy when he found what he was looking for. The Otomi followed his actions with confused interest. Finally Chimalli couldn't resist asking, with a voice that sounded just a bit impatient:

"What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for rocks," Daniel explained without turning away from his search. He had found two fist-sized stones near the base of the DHD, but that wasn't enough.

"What do you need rocks for? The portal is open, go fetch your friends." This time Chimalli's voice was definitely impatient, causing Daniel to stop and try to explain properly.

"I can't. I can't go through the 'gate. We have this…a kind of shield in front of the Stargate. It's called an iris, and it's meant to stop unwanted guests. If I don't send a specific signal before I go they won't open it for me and I will die. But I can't send the signal because the device I would use to send it is left in the city, so I have to send a message in a different way. That's what the rocks are for. If I send them through in a certain pattern the impacts on the iris will tell my friends that I need help."

Chimalli's face changed like a flip of a coin. He started running his hands over the ground as far as he could reach, feeling for rocks.

"How many do you need?" he asked, just as Daniel found another one by the Stargate platform.

"Nine. But I can only find three. The ground is too soft here." He kicked the offendingly mossy grass, an action that made more harm to his beaten up foot than it did to the ground. Making a grimace of pain he abruptly sat himself down with a disappointed huff. Chimalli looked at him for a moment, then he panned his gaze around the glade.

"Does it have to be rocks?" he asked.

"No…?" Daniel wrinkled his forehead in confusion, an expression that was quickly becoming the most common one between the two of them. The same thought must have occurred to Chimalli because he smiled a little wider as he continued.

"Then you can use our swords."

"Why didn't I think of that?!" Daniel exclaimed and jumped to his feet, immediately forgetful of the pain.

Turning to the Stargate Daniel saw the wormhole was still open. He assumed that meant the people back at SGC were trying to hail them on their radios, since the connection would have been broken if nothing at all passed through. As he walked up the steps he wondered if the radio signals reached the rest of his team back in the city, if they even had their radios anymore, or if the impacts of his collected items would be the only answer the SGC received. There was no possible way of knowing.

He knelt down and aligned the rocks and swords for quick fire. The timing would have to be quite precise to get his message through, and without any more items he only had one chance to get it right. He just hoped the right person was manning the computers so they would understand. _Maybe Walter. He'll get it – I hope._ He picked up the first rock and threw it in the puddle, quickly followed by the other two. After that he threw in three swords with longer pauses between, and finally the last three swords in the same quick succession as the stones. Then he waited, counting the seconds as they added up to minutes. He tried to figure out if it was getting close to the thirty eight minute limit for the 'gate to stay open, and he wondered how long he had spent looking for something to hurl through the 'gate. He had just started his fifteenth sixty-second cycle when the wormhole dissolved, and his best guess was that adding the time he had spent rock searching the SGC had kept the line open for as long as they could. He wasn't sure what that meant though.

"Do you think they got the message?" Chimalli asked the question on his mind, but Daniel could give him no better answers than he had for himself.

"I don't know."

In the same moment the words passed his lips the Stargate began spinning, locking in the symbols of Earth's address again. The vortex erupted with the Kawoosh sound that had lent it its nickname. Daniel smiled widely and prepared to greet the SG-team he anticipated to rush out with guns at the ready, but the minutes stretched out without anything happening. He started counting again; this time definitely reaching a full cycle of the Stargate's maximum open time. By the time the puddle dissolved into nothing he had drawn the conclusion that he couldn't count on reinforcements any time soon. _Maybe Walter wasn't on duty. _He stifled a curse, wondering if it had been worth trying to call for help at all or if he should have headed after his friends to the city a once.

"Don't seem like they've figured it out yet," he said to Chimalli, kneeling down to take another look at his wound. He swallowed hard. "I guess I'm going to have to give this a go after all. Do you have a knife?"

Chimalli shook his head, but one of the others pulled out a small blade that he handed to Daniel. It was made from a finely worked piece of flint and despite its primitiveness it had a sharp and straight edge.

"Now, this is going to hurt," Daniel explained to his patient and got a stoic nod in response that reminded him so much of Teal'c that he thought the man could have made a pretty decent Jaffa.

Taking a deep breath he felt in the man's wound again, locating the back end of the slug lodged in the flesh once more. It wasn't deep in, which was what made him think he could actually do this without causing more damage than he was trying to fix. He was more than a little nervous about some of the others' wounds which would be more difficult to tackle. He pushed the worries aside and focused on the man in front of him. He would handle the others in case this went well – or not if it didn't.

He slid the knife into the wound until it touched the bullet, and then further down beside it. Sweat broke on Chimalli's face, but he barely made a sound of even twitched as Daniel dug into the wound to get a hold of the slippery slug. It was difficult, bloody work and after a while Daniel was getting a little worried that his patient was losing too much blood, but eventually he managed to pull the crumpled piece of metal out. With one hand on the now profusely bleeding wound his other hand reflexively went up to search for the pocket on his tac vest that usually contained an emergency bandage. Then he remembered – he wasn't wearing the vest. _Great, yet another thing I left at the palace, just because I was SO sure there was no danger…_ He forced himself to cut off the self-berating thoughts. _That's not very constructive. I have more important things to think of than how stupid I am. Besides, I'm sure Jack will tell me all about it as soon as he gets an opportunity._

Refocusing his mind on the task at hand, finding something to bandage Chimalli's wound, his eyes fell on the rich colored cloak given to him by the queen. He'd worn it all the way from the temple, not stopping to take it off even when it got snagged on branches in their initial mad dash through the forest. He remembered vaguely that Teal'c had wrapped it snuggly around him both times that he had carried him in his strong arms. It had made him feel secure, reminded him of how his mother had carried him to bed when she was still alive.

He had finally thrown the cloak to the side when he began searching for rocks, but now he picked it up again and carried it over to Chimalli's side. The fine fabric tore easily into long strips and he barely even felt bad for ruining the artful weave. It had after all been a gift intended for him to wear to his death, which took away a lot of its allure as an artifact.

Having stemmed the bleeding with a snug bandage, he checked on the other wounded. It turned out only one of them had been hit by a bullet from Sam's gun. The other three had taken blasts from Teal'c's staff, leaving them with burns that Daniel couldn't do much to help with. They needed treatment, possibly surgery, and at the least water to stay hydrated. Daniel had neither, so unless the reinforcements from Earth came the ones with the worst burns might not even make it. He explained the situation with a heavy heart and was amazed by how they calmly accepted his words.

"We should be dead anyway," they told him. Daniel shook his head. Death wasn't quite that easy for him to accept.

"My friends _will_ come," he assured them – and himself, "and when they do, they will help you. They have medicine for burns like these."

The Otomi nodded appreciatively but he could see they weren't convinced. When it came right down to it he wasn't either. The people he would trust most to figure out the message he had sent were all on the wrong side of the Stargate, held captive by murderously religious natives and in need of the very rescue he had hoped the reinforcements would provide. Now it seemed that the only rescue they could expect was him, wounded, alone and armed only with a single hand gun and possibly the small flint knife. _Well, this should be a piece of cake…_

He tried to push away the worry and fears, and the vague terror of the thought that he might already be too late, that his friends had already been sacrificed on the altar of those people's 'celebration'. _How long have I delayed here?_ He pushed that thought away as well, concentrating on the men in front of him. No matter how much he wanted to go after his friends his conscience wouldn't allow him to leave without at least doing what he could for the wounded.

The second surgery went surprisingly well, even if Daniel was sure he would need more care if he was going to recover completely. The bullet had gone into the knee and only a real doctor could tell what the full extent of the damage was.

Deciding there wasn't anything more he could do for his patients Daniel picked up his gun and checked it over like Jack had taught him. He found he had almost a full clip of ammunition. _That's something good I guess._ He slammed the magazine back into the gun and turned to the Otomi. In the process of examining and treating them he had moved them over to the side of the Stargate platform. They would be safe there from the Kawoosh of an incoming wormhole and still able to make contact when the reinforcements finally did come from Earth. To his surprise Chimalli wasn't sitting with the others; he was in the process of getting to his feet.

"I'm coming with you," he said matter a factly, dismissing Daniel's protests with a hand gesture that reminded him of Jack in his 'don't argue with me, Daniel'-mood. "You need my help, and I am willing to give it after what you have done for us. I am dead to my people, but to you I am alive. Let me aid you."

Daniel frowned but he couldn't very well argue. He did need the help. Even if he hadn't been wounded he would be alone against every single person in MIxcoatco. On the other hand the wounded Otomi wasn't much in the way of back up, wounded as he was himself. Meeting the man's eyes Daniel realized it wouldn't matter much if he argued, so he nodded that he accepted the offer and with matching limps the two of them headed into the forest toward the city.

It was a painful walk. Daniel felt the sting of the wound in his side at every step, and the blood loss he'd suffered had made him weaker than he had realized at first. He didn't even want to think about what state his feet were in. He had added the last strips of the cloak to the bandages Sam had applied so he hoped at least he wasn't getting any new cuts. Occasionally he cast a sideways glance at the man walking next to him. _He must also be in awful pain_, Daniel thought. He knew how a bullet wound felt, but Chimalli did a good job of hiding his feelings. His face was a mask of pure determination, and in admiring his perseverance Daniel never considered that his expression was exactly the same. Despite the pain and exhaustion there was only one thought in his mind; to find and free his friends. Taking care of his injuries, or even feeling them for that matter, would have to wait until they were safe.

The best way he knew to keep the pain at bay was thinking of his plan, even though at the moment he didn't have much of a plan. In fact all he had was the hope that the Otomi back at the city hadn't taken down the rope he and the rest of SG-1 had climbed out of the city with, and that it was unguarded. Then he and Chimalli might have a chance of entering the city unseen, and the further they got without being detected the greater the chance was that he could actually rescue his friends.

Dusk slowly crept in over the world. It was barely noticeable at first in the already shadowy forest and it wasn't until they were nearing the tree line, sighting the city walls between the thinning trees, that Daniel realized the sun had almost set.

They approached the wall just out of sight from the city gates, thanking the darkness for the cover it provided. Daniel was pretty sure they were at the right spot but the rope was nowhere in sight. Unwilling to give up he hobbled back and forth along the wall several times, but eventually he had to resign to fact.

"Crap," he muttered and plunked himself down on a fallen log to rest his aching feet. "They must have taken it down."

"Taken what down?" Chimalli asked. He had quizzically watched the pacing and Daniel realized he hadn't told him the plan.

"The rope," he explained. "The one I and my friends used to climb out of the city. I had hoped we could climb in the same way, since the gate's probably too well guarded. Now I don't know how we're going to get in."

Chimalli nodded understanding, but he didn't seem quite as discouraged as Daniel by the setback.

"I have an idea," he revealed, instantly sparking Daniel's hope and motivation again.

"Yes…"

"There's a small door leading into the warrior quarters. It is usually not guarded since the Otomi are the only ones who know of it. We should be able to sneak in."

Daniel bounced to his feet. He almost wanted to hug Chimalli but instead he harnessed the energy that his words had given him and channeled it into giving him strength for the rescue operation. There were still many obstacles in their way to overcome and he was going to need every ounce of strength.

The small door was unguarded as promised, and Daniel immediately saw why. It was so well hidden by a dense shrubbery that he doubted he would have been able to find it on his own, even if he had known it existed. Chimalli pointed to the branches and Daniel noticed long needle-sharp thorns.

"Be careful," Chimalli warned. "The thorns of the Cochi-xihuitl are poisonous and will put you into a deep sleep if they pierce your skin. We use their poison for our sleep-arrows."

"Like the ones they used on my friends?" Daniel asked.

"Yes."

"So it's just a sedative? I mean, I suspected it was poison, but…." _I was afraid to ask_. "It isn't dangerous? It just put them to sleep?"

"Yes. They will wake after a few hours, feeling much like a man the day after a great feast but that will pass too. They may already be awake actually."

Getting a vague idea Daniel ripped a strip off his already torn t-shirt and used the piece of fabric as a glove to pick a handful of thorns. He wrapped the sharp points up so he wouldn't accidentally prick himself and carefully placed the packet in his pocket. He didn't know for what yet, but they might prove useful for something before this escapade was over.

The door creaked a little when opened but no other sounds could be heard in the dark corridor beyond. The darkness seemed almost tangibly compact, especially when the door closed behind them and shut out the last evening light. As their eyes adjusted a dim glow became visible further in. They snuck towards it as silently as they could manage until the opening at the corridor's end was right in front of them, revealing the diffuse glow to be the light sifting through a drape covering the opening. A careful peek behind the drape revealed a dining hall full of row after row of wooden tables and benches. The tables were laden high with food but the room was still empty waiting for its guests.

"The warriors will be here soon," Chimalli whispered. "We should hurry."

He folded the drape to the side and led the way toward a door on the other side of the room. Halfway across they passed a huge wooden barrel next to a table with wooden mugs. Daniel paused.

"What's in this barrel?"

"Water. We shouldn't stop." Chimalli urged him to come, but he was unsuspectingly about to get a taste of dealing with Daniel having an idea.

"Do all the warriors drink from it?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Now come before they get here."

Chimalli grabbed for Daniel's hand but he easily avoided him and pulled out the little bundle of thorns he had collected outside. The Otomi smiled when he understood and hurried instead to help unplug the lid on the barrel. Daniel unfolded the fabric and dropped the thorns in the water, and after resealing the barrel they hurried out the door.


	8. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 8

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 8**

The sun had finally set over the great temple of Mixcoatco, blending the stripy shadows inside the altar into solid black. There had been no movement outside, no one coming or talk to the prisoners or – even better – preparing hideous ways of killing them out on the landing. Jack hoped that the inactivity meant the queen had decided not to deal with them until morning. It was time to put the escape plan into action. _That is, as soon as I have made the plan. _

He got up from his seat on the floor and stretched, as if he was simply softening up his stiffened muscles. Unfortunately it wasn't entirely an act to cover up a surreptitious survey of the guard force outside. His limbs really were stiff, and he could feel quite a few bruises from the Otomi not so carefully transporting him back to the city. _They must have dragged me the entire way, over stocks and stones._ Strangely enough, almost contradictorily, there was a neat bandage over the wound left in his arm by the poison arrow.

Jack peered into the darkness beyond the bars and saw a small circle of light painted by a single burning torch. Beneath the flickering light sat two Otomi on the edge of the top step of the staircase. They seemed pretty relaxed, chatting away and laughing, and definitely not very concerned about watching the prisoners. _That's their loss,_ Jack thought, but just for safety he made a few more demonstrative shoulder rolls. In his ears they sounded like he had a row of nutcrackers in his neck. He leisurely strolled across the cell, resisting to make a face when the stiffness twinged his bad knee.

The back of the altar was unguarded, but that was a poor encouragement. There was no gate on this side. The bars sat firmly fused into both the floor and the ceiling making it impossible to get out that way. The lack of guards did however mean they had a spot where they could make plans without fearing the guards overheard. Jack waved Sam and Teal'c over.

"I count two guards directly outside," he said in a hushed voice. "Could be more further down, but it's too dark to see that far. Any ideas?"

"Perhaps if we lure them closer, we can execute a surprise attack," Teal'c suggested.

"Or maybe we can pick the lock," Sam said.

"I have another idea," said a fourth voice, and even the usually unshakable Teal'c gave a little start. The voice had come from the darkness beyond the bars, and though unexpected it was utterly familiar.

"Daniel?"

Jack squinted into the shadows and jumped again when the owner of both voice and name appeared with a smile. The glee of the expression had no effect on Jack, who frowned in response.

"What are you doing here?" he asked accusingly.

Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I came to see the sacrifice and get myself a Jack-snack," he said with sarcasm dripping off every syllable. Then his voice changed and the smile returned. "What do think I'm doing here?! I came to rescue you guys."

Jack still looked less than impressed.

"Did you bring reinforcements? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but reinforcements would be better."

"Ehm…" Even in the low light Jack thought he could see Daniel blush a little, or maybe he just recognized the tone of voice that went with an embarrassed archaeologist. "Well…that is…I, I tried, but…I didn't have a GDO or a radio so I tried sending a Morse code SOS by throwing stuff at the iris. They'll probably figure it out sooner or later, but I was too worried about you guys to just sit around and wait so…here I am." Daniel's voice sped up as he spoke, blurting out the explanation. In the end Jack couldn't hold his smile back any longer.

"Okay, okay, calm down there motor-mouth. You said you had a plan?"

"Yeah, I got the idea from something Chimalli said on our way here when I asked him about what happened at the celebration. Long story short, the queen thinks I am one the gods incarnated. We just need to get into the priests' closet and 'borrow' some ceremonial clothing and then it's all about timing. Just hang tight and I'll get you out in one piece – or, well, technically three."

Before Jack knew it Daniel disappeared into the darkness again, leaving the colonel with a figurative question mark painted across his face. _For once I think I would have preferred the long version_, he considered to himself. There were more than one point he had questions about. _Like,_ _who the hell is Chimalli? And at what point did Daniel move up from king to god? And…_ He halted the listing in his thoughts. Daniel was going to get to answer all of his questions in due time, and maybe he could finally learn the midpoint between too much and too little information. The only thing that mattered now was getting out of this situation alive. Despite the sketchy details Jack drew the conclusion that Daniel's words of incarnated gods and ceremonial clothing meant he was going to play on the people's beliefs as a diversion. Thus, even if they didn't know what the precise timing Daniel had mentioned would be, they were going to prepare and be ready when the time came.

* * *

Daniel made his way back down the backside of the temple to where Chimalli was keeping watch. They had come up with the plan for rescuing the rest of SG-1 during the walk through the city, but Daniel had insisted on filling Jack in so they would be a bit prepared for what was to come.

A small wooden door beside the staircase led to the interior of the temple. Through empty winding corridors they reached a small room lit by a skylight-like shaft. Several mannequins stood along the walls with magnificent robes and headdresses mounted up on them, forming a combined storage and display. The colors and intricate bead and feather work drew Daniel to them like a moth to a flame. For a moment the fascinatingly archeological significance almost blotted out his purpose for coming here.

"Which one is Mixcoatl?" he asked, forcing himself to focus. Chimalli, who had remained just outside, reverently pointed to a coat decorated with green and red feathers. The big headdress that belonged to it was made in the same colors and extended in a black mask that would cover the wearer's eyes. Beside the mannequin stood a lavishly carved set of ceremonial bow and arrows and a small table with a set of bejeweled golden arm rings and necklace.

"Help me put it on."

Daniel had to ask twice before Chimalli dared to enter the room, and even then he did it slowly and hesitantly as if expecting to be struck down by lightning just by setting foot inside. He relaxed a little when no thunder came and helped Daniel to lift the coat off its mannequin.

* * *

Jack, Sam and Teal'c waited patiently – at first – but as the hours ticked by with no further sign of Daniel or his plan they grew increasingly restless.

"Where is he?" Jack muttered, barely able to keep his voice down, not to mention trying to contain the nervousness driving him to pace back and forth in their cell. Reluctantly he reigned himself in to not attract the guards' attention. "We might need a plan B. Carter, you think you can actually pick that lock?"

Sam looked up, surprise and worry written across her face.

"Yeah, probably, but…Do you think something's happened to Daniel, sir?"

"I really hope not, but it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan, does it." Jack tried to keep his tone light, but it was a struggle. He was beginning to worry, to wonder if something had indeed happened to Daniel. If something had stopped him from executing his plan to rescue them. If he had been taken captive as well. Sam read the thoughts on his face, but taking her cue from his hope she gave him a nod and started patting down her pockets.

"I just need something to use as lock picks and I should be able to open the gate. Too bad the Air Force has hair regulations."

Jack chuckled, but the joke passed Teal'c by like a high flying plane. Jack shook his head and opted for searching his own pockets over trying to explain about women and hair pins. With a still puzzled look Teal'c did the same.

"I've got nothing," Jack finally admitted, "unless you can use a belt buckle?"

"That isn't a bad idea, actually," Sam replied.

Jack and Teal'c took off their belts and Sam began dismantling the buckles, removing the prongs to use as lock picks. Then she silently with one eye on the guards still sitting on their step outside, crept up to the gate. The lock that held it shut was big and definitely not sophisticated, but she was careful as she inserted the prongs. If the lock was big that also meant its parts would be big and difficult to move. She didn't want to break her lock picks attempting to get it opened.

The darkness slowly lifted as she worked uncomfortably squatted by the gate. It was barely noticeable at first, no more than a shift in the shadows as the light of the still not visible sun made them distinguishable from the dark of the night. A thin stripe of pink appeared on the horizon and then the bright orb ascended from the woods.

All of a sudden there was movement outside. The two guards jumped to their feet and came to attention in front of someone coming up the steps. Sam quickly moved away from the lock, suppressing a string of curses.

"I almost had it," she muttered, receiving a nod from Jack that both showed the same disappointment she felt and forgave her the failure at the same time.

Barely had the communication passed between them when the prison gate opened and several armed Otomi rushed into their cell. Judging the moment wasn't opportune for a breakout Jack signaled to his friends to go along peacefully and they were led out onto the open landing. The wooden pole had received two identical companions, probably yesterday while they were still unconscious Jack surmised. A line of archers already stood prepared to fire, just waiting for their victims and the queen's command.

The guards grabbed the prisoners' hands, and despite their struggling Jack, Sam and Teal'c soon found themselves strung up on the poles in the same position they had less than a day ago seen Daniel. As Jack felt the ground disappear under his feet, to the cheer of a crowd he only just realized was gathered on the plaza, he decided it was one of his least favorite positions ever. With his hands above his head and no contact with the ground there was absolutely nothing he could do to defend himself, nothing to do but wait for the arrows to strike. _Any time now, Daniel. Any time would be good._

The queen, _Xilah_, walked up to him. There was a smile on her lips, and no hostility in her eyes. He knew she was about to execute them, and the lack of the prisoner-captor animosity he was used to in these situations made him uneasy. He realized a bit of the 'Kree!' and 'Sholva!' enemy Jaffa usually spit at him would have made him more comfortable, and almost let out a little laugh at the thought. _Oh, the things one can get used to._

Xilah reached out a hand and gently touched his chest, sending an odd chill through his body. Then she flashed him another smile before she walked over to the edge facing the plaza.

"People of Mixcoatco! It is time for the celebration. Today we honor these loyal servants of our lord Mixcoatl. Rejoice!"

On a sign of her hand the archers drew their bows. Jack felt his breath and heart beat speed up at the sight of the sun glistening off the polished arrow heads. _Any time_ _now, Daniel. Any time. _A gasp went through the crowd below, simultaneously rippling through the Otomi gathered at the temple's top, and the archers hesitated. Jack followed the awed eyes, all converging on the top of the arched altar. There was a figure there standing upright on the altar roof, but its details was barely visible in the sharp light illuminating it from behind.

"Stay your arrows, brave Otomi."

The voice had force and command, and the setting made it appear almost otherworldly, but Jack smiled in recognition. _So that's what you mean by timing, huh?_

As the archers lowered their bows the backlight dimmed and the figure became clearer, every red and green feather standing out sharply against the sky. The sun glistened in gold at the wrists and ankles, bounced off silver threads woven into the fabric of the feathered cloak. The naked arms and legs were painted in candy-cane red and white stripes and its face was half obscured by a black mask, making the figure look like an Aztec version of Superman. As silly as that thought seemed to Jack, he couldn't deny it was a majestic sight and for a moment he forgot who was actually hidden under the lavish costume. The queen however, unlike her people, was apparently not fooled.

"Daniel Jackson," she greeted the figure. "You have returned to us, to receive the honor rightfully yours?" Her voice was full of something Jack couldn't quite identify. There were too many variables in the current situation he didn't understand.

"Daniel Jackson is no more," came the voice from atop the arch again. "He is dead and I, Mixcoatl, have been released to my divine form. I owe you thanks, queen Xilah, and yet you follow this splendid deed with this." Mixcoatl-Daniel's voice turned sharp and angry as he indicated the prisoners and their would-be executioners. "These may have been my unwitting mortal servants, but they cannot follow me to where I go now. They must return to their people. Let them go and I shall forgive your mistake."

The queen hesitated, but Daniel's act must have been more convincing than Jack had thought because the hesitation only lasted a fraction of a moment. Then she bowed her head and spoke to the Otomi.

"Cut them down."

"They will need their belongings," Mixcoatl-Daniel pointed out and a gesture from the queen sent a couple of Otomi to fetch them. Turning to the three members of SG-1 he continued, "Now, my servants."

Jack looked up at the feathered figure, noting the slightly uncomfortable smile on its lips that revealed to his trained eye that Daniel knew he was going to pay for those words later. '_Later' is the word, though_

"Lord," Jack said, knowing the rest of the team would take it as a signal to follow his lead and play along. After all, Daniel's plan did seem to be working.

"Yes, my trusted servants. Go from this place and hold no grudge against these people as they will hold none against you. Worry not; you will see me again along your path. Now, I see the trusty Otomi have retrieved your belongings so I must bid you farewell."

The light flared behind him again, becoming so painfully bright that Jack had to turn his eyes away. When he looked back Mixcoatl-Daniel was gone, and as he looked around he could tell the 'magical' disappearance had only deepened the impression on the natives. An Otomi with a truly awed expression on his face appeared by Jack's side and handed him his backpack and, surprisingly, his weapon. He opened the pack and found his handgun and – _hallelujah _– his GDO on top. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam and Teal'c also receiving their equipment, and smiled at the pleased look on Teal'c's face when his staff weapon was returned to his hands. Jack swung the pack onto his back and turned to the queen.

"Well, bye then. It's been…yeah, bye."

No one stopped them as they made their way down the staircase. As they reached the foot of the pyramid the crowd parted for them like the sea before Moses. The people seemed disappointed but they were still treated as royalties, and thrown flowers followed them as they crossed the plaza. At the edge of the open place, where the maze of the city streets began, a boy broke out of the front line. Jack instantly recognized him as the runner boy that had brought them to the celebration the day before.

"Lords and lady." He bowed. "May I guide you to the city gates? It would be my honor."

Jack nodded and let the boy lead the way through the winding streets. He was on his guard; at every turn half expecting the Otomi to appear and try to recapture them, but the streets remained peacefully empty. They found the city gates open and the boy waved goodbye as they headed into the forest, this time travelling on the more open path to the Stargate. Jack threw a glance behind now and then, but it still didn't seem the queen had changed her mind. They had made a clean get-away. _The only worry then is Daniel. I hope he thought of having an exit strategy for himself as well so we don't have to go back and rescue him. _

They were almost at the 'gate when there was a rustling in the bushes beside the path. Their weapons swung up with well-trained military precision and they watched breathlessly as the bushes shook again and then erupted in a flurry of green and red feathers that fell to the ground in the middle of the path.

Jack lowered his weapon and let out the laughter pushing its way up his throat. Sam gave him a stern side glance and hurried forth to help the creature, which obviously was Daniel, up. Another rustle in the bushes made them swing around with guns armed again. Jack's trigger finger twitched when an Otomi appeared in the hole Daniel had made by his violent exit.

"No!"

Suddenly Daniel was in front of him, blocking the line of fire. Jack would never understand how the scrawny archaeologist could possibly go from a complete tangled mess to moving like the Flash when it came to saving another human being. _Speaking of which, how in the universe did he manage to get back to the city and stage that god-act to get us out?_ The memory of Daniel collapsing in the forest, so exhausted he could barely talk, flashed before Jack's eyes.

As if his body had just realized the same impossibility Daniel swayed. His knees buckled and like a falling house of cards he sank to the ground. Jack dropped his weapon and intercepted just before his head hit the dirt. Removing the heavy feathered headdress he found Daniel's blue eyes boring into him with that look that said 'Jack!' in much the same way his voice did so very often. The look only lasted a moment, then the eyes became dim and unfocused as if the commanding look had taken every ounce of the little strength Daniel had left.

"He's a friend," he whispered before the eyelids fell down and he lost consciousness.

Teal'c appeared by Jack's side, silently offering to carry their wounded comrade again. While he gently cradled Daniel up in his strong arms Jack turned to the Otomi, who was still standing hesitantly in the Daniel-shaped hole in the bushes.

"A friend, ey?" he asked skeptically.

The man nodded.

"My name is Chimalli. I assisted Tlatoani Daniel in your rescue and he promised me refuge among your people."

The name sounded familiar and Jack realized the man must be the person Daniel had mentioned last night when he was 'explaining' his rescue plan. _So that's one less question for him to answer. _He waved for the man to step onto the path, and then signaled with a nod to Sam and Teal'c to proceed to the Stargate.

"Well…thank you for helping out," he said, taking up the rear next to Chimalli. "I suppose if Daniel promised you, you'll have to come with us to Earth. But tell me, why did you help us?"

"When I and the other Otomi lay wounded after the battle with your friends, Daniel showed us mercy. The sleep-arrow archers had taken the woman and the dark one and he would have been in right to take revenge on us, but he treated our wounds and promised us safety among your people."

Only then, when Chimalli mentioned being wounded, Jack noticed the limp in the man's walk and the bloodstained bandage on his thigh. He stared at the hazel haired head resting on Teal'c's shoulder and shook his head. _Well I'd be damned. I suppose that's one for the 'peaceful explorer' approach._

It didn't take long to reach the Stargate and as soon as the trees opened into the glade Chimalli rushed over to his four Otomi comrades still sitting by the platform. Jack was on his heels, immediately understanding these were the other wounded Daniel had cared for. He also understood why not more of them had offered to help with the rescue operation.

"Sir?"

The question was evident oice and Jack nodded his okay for her to dial the 'gate. While the heavy machine rumbled and locked in the address he helped Chimalli check on the Otomi. They were exhausted, dehydrated. The staff blast burns looked particularly nasty; too deep for blisters but already showing signs of infection. Despite the serious injuries the warriors were all still clinging to life, and when Jack laid a hand on a neck to check the pulse he was greeted by a hopeful look in the man's pain-shadowed eyes.

Jack sent Teal'c first through the wormhole with Daniel. Then he and Sam helped Chimalli get the wounded Otomi through. When he reintegrated on the Earth-side, with the last man hanging heavy on his shoulder, the 'gate-room was already a buzz of activity. Dr Janet Fraiser was at the centre of it all, barking orders to her nurses and the soldiers alike. Someone, probably a nurse, took over the patient from his shoulder, and relieved of its burden Jack's body seemed to decide it was time for a rest. His legs folded and he sat down on the ramp with a thump. A tired smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. They may all be battered up – _and as per usual Daniel more than anyone else_ – but they had made it home safe once more.


	9. Unwanted Honor - Chapter 9

**Unwanted Honor – Chapter 9**

Daniel opened his eyes and screwed them shut again with a moan. He didn't need more than a flash view of the ceiling to recognize where he was. The concrete slabs and fluorescent lights of the infirmary were utterly too familiar. For a long while there with the royal treatment, he had really hoped this would be one of the few missions that didn't land him in here. _I guess that was wishful thinking._

A light touch on his hand made him open his eyes again, this time just squinting against the bright light to see who had wanted is attention. Janet's smiling face came into focus – as much as it could without his glasses.

"Hi there, Dr Jackson. You're okay. You lost a fair amount of blood and cut your feet up terribly, but I think your injuries will heal nicely. When you're rested enough the General would like to see you. SG-1 has had their debriefing but Colonel O'Neill wants you explain some things that they couldn't account for."

Seeing an opening for escaping the infirmary Daniel immediately felt a lot better. He pushed himself upright in the bed, disregarding the pain in his side.

"I can go now. I don't need more rest."

Janet regarded him for a moment, scrutinizing every inch of his face. Over the past two years as his primary physician she had learned to not put too much trust in Daniel's own assessment of his medical state. He had a tendency to claim he was fine even when he clearly was not – either to put focus on things he deemed more important than his own survival or, as she suspected now, to simply to get out of the infirmary.

"Okay," she finally said. "I'll call the General and tell him you're ready. Lieutenant Bauer will bring you up to the briefing room in a wheelchair." She halted his protest with an upheld hand. "I want you to stay off those feet for at least two days. After the debrief you will come back here and rest, and maybe I will release you to your on-base quarters later tonight. Understood?"

Daniel frowned but nodded. The learning curve over the past two years had been mutual, and one of the things he'd learned about his doctor was that it did not pay to argue with her on matters of health. If he didn't agree to her terms he might very well end up spending even longer in the infirmary, just for her to make a point about listening to the doctor's orders.

* * *

"The rest of your team has informed me what happened on P2X-850," Hammond began the debriefing, "but Colonel O'Neill said you might be able to explain the events further. Do you know why the natives tried to kill you, Dr Jackson? The colonel says they showed no hostility until this 'celebration'."

Daniel considered the question, and his words carefully. He was glad the general had decided to ask him, since he wasn't entirely sure any recount made by Jack in particular would do the people of Mixcoatco justice. It wasn't that he thought Jack would misrepresent the events or lie, but he simply didn't have the full understanding of the reasons for the natives' actions.

"I've thought about it, sir, and I think the whole thing was actually a religious misunderstanding. The people of P2X-850 are most likely descendants the Aztec of Earth, who did in fact practice human sacrifice."

"They were trying to sacrifice you – us – to one of those unpronounceable gods?" Jack interrupted him, slamming his hands into the table and leaning over it to nail him down with eyes that shot sparks of anger. "And you didn't think that was a bad idea?! Until it happened to the rest of us, of course!"

"I didn't realize it any sooner than you, Jack. I knew there was a possibility they had the same practices as the Aztec, but I never dreamed they would sacrifice a visitor – especially regarding what they called me…" Daniel blushed and despite his anger Jack couldn't help smiling. He noted the questioning looks around the room and didn't mind worsening Daniel's discomfort.

"They called him a king," he explained and watched with satisfaction as the shade on Daniel's cheeks deepened.

"So why did they try to kill you?" Hammond asked and received a grateful smile from the red archaeologist for redirecting the conversation.

"Most likely they thought I was the personification of one of their gods, Mixcoatl. The Aztec often sacrificed people who had taken on the persona of a god. They would also sacrifice enemy captives but I don't think that applies here. I believe they simply thought of it as an honor to be sacrificed and it never occurred to them that we wouldn't think so too."

"Well, they could have asked," Jack muttered, earning himself a scathing look from Daniel.

"Jack, no matter how bad – this was a misunderstanding. They weren't trying to deceive us or hide anything. We just didn't understand what they meant with a 'celebration'."

"That may be the case Dr Jackson," Hammond said, "but based on these events I have put P2X-850 on the red-list." Daniel opened his mouth to protest, but the general continued before he could voice his objections. "I know there are probably some significant cultural and historical things we could learn from these people but Colonel O'Neill says they had nothing significant from a tactical standpoint that would make it worth putting our people at risk. That's final, doctor."

Daniel made a face and glared at Jack, but held his tongue. No matter how interested he was in the Aztec descendants he understood the general's reasoning. There was no way to guarantee what had happened to them wouldn't happen with the next team sent there and Hammond would never put anyone under his command in harm's way unnecessarily. Then he remembered something that both made him agree with the general and turned his stomach.

"You're right, General." The look on Jack's face when he heard the words out of Daniel's mouth was one of unmitigated chock, and the same expression echoed in smaller degrees on the other three. He rolled his eyes. _It's not that odd that I agree._ "There is another reason to not return. I think they may practice cannibalism as well as human sacrifice."

"How do you know?" Sam asked, her voice laden with disgust. Daniel understood her. A part of him wished he hadn't figured it out.

"Cannibalism did occur among the Aztec on Earth, and the signs were there on P2X-850. The fires at the temple with the roasting spits – they were basically huge barbeques, and considering the only meat butchered at the temple would be human…" He left the implication hanging. "And then…there's the meat we ate at the welcome meal. It fits the description some people have made of human meat."

The room grew silent as they considered his words. Then Jack suddenly brightened with a smile of realization.

"I didn't eat it," he stated with relief. "I didn't eat any of the meat!"

Sam smiled as well.

"Me neither."

"And nor I," Teal'c chimed in with a hint of relief in his steady voice.

Daniel looked from one teammate to the other and felt his gut take another sickening churn. For once he thought he should probably have followed Jack's lead. This time 'when in Rome' hadn't been such a good device to follow.

"Wait!" Jack burst out, interrupting Daniel's thoughts. "So…when you said you 'came to see the sacrifice and have a Jack-snack', you meant…"

A smile snuck its way onto Daniel's lips. He nodded and for a moment Jack just stared at him. Just as he seemed about to give Daniel a piece of his mind about the subject, the general rose to retire to his office. Taking his departure as a dismissal Daniel looked around for the nurse that had brought him up to the briefing room, but Lieutenant Bauer was nowhere to be seen. _Perhaps she fled when the talk of cannibalism began_. Unwilling to bother anyone else Daniel began wheeling himself towards the elevator. Suddenly he picked up speed and Jack's face appeared a little too close to his head.

"Let me give you a hand there, Danny-boy."

"Oh, thanks, Jack."

"I have to ask, though. We met this girl who said she 'aided you in your purification'. What did that entail?"

"Ehm…well…it, eh…"

Jack's barely contained laughter exploded and echoed before them down the hall. Back in his office General Hammond smiled and relaxed in his chair. His premiere team may be one of a kind and quite unorthodox, but despite their differences they sure did take good care of each other.

**The End**


End file.
